Experiment: Crystal Structure Analysis in Engineering Materials
Objective
The purpose of this experiment is to introduce students to the use of X-ray diffraction techniques for investigating
various types of crystal structure encountered in metallic materials.
Abstract
The X-Ray diffraction technique is used to determine the crystal structure and interatomic spacing of crystalline
samples through constructive interference of reflected x-ray beams. Bragg's Law and X-Ray diffraction data, in
combination with the expressions for interatomic spacing in terms of the lattice parameter and Miller indices for a
crystal, can be utilized to identify crystal structures, determine lattice constants, and locate defects within a
structure. X-Ray diffraction data has been collected for a FCC Aluminum sample and a BCC steel sample; the
data will be analyzed to determine the lattice parameter and preferred orientations for these materials.
Background
Metallic and ceramic materials utilized in mechanical engineering applications have crystalline microstructures;
many material properties are related to the atomic arrangement on various planes within the structures. Three
basic crystal structures encountered in metallic materials are the Body-Centered Cubic (BCC), Face-Centered
Cubic (FCC) and Hexagonal Close-Packed (HCP) as illustrated in Figure 1.
(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 1 - Atomic arrangement in common metallic crystal structures: a.) Face-Centered Cubic (FCC),
b.) Body-Centered Cubic (BCC), c.) Hexagonal Close-Packed (HCP). [Shackelford, 1996]
Engineering metals are commonly composed of substitutional solid solutions. Steels, which often contain carbon
interstitially, are alloyed with Manganese, Chromium, Nickel, Molybdenum, etc. substitutionally to enhance
performance in both its FCC and BCC structural phases; BCC ferrite is quite important. Aluminum, Titanium, and
Copper alloys such as brass, generally contain substitutional atoms in their FCC structures. Titanium alloys have
HCP and/or BCC structures. X-ray diffraction techniques can be utilized to identify the structure of various
materials; this investigation will focus on the use of X-ray diffraction methods applied to basic metallic materials
with BCC, FCC and/or HCP structures.
The atoms are arranged on the densest packed planes on the {1 1 1} family of planes in FCC structures. There
are four sets of non-parallel planar stacks in each FCC crystal or grain, and on each plane there are three nonparallel close packed <1 1 0> directions (two example planes are shown in Figure 2). Slip, which is the main
phenomenon in plastic deformation, generally occurs on the most densely packed planes along the most densely
packed directions. Since slip can occur along any one slip plane along any one direction on it, there are altogether
12 possible slip directions that can occur in FCC crystals. As a result, there are 12 slip systems in FCC materials
such as Austenitic Stainless Steels (FCC), Al-alloys, Ni-alloys, Cu-alloys, etc.
Compared with FCC crystals, the closed packed planes in BCC are not as tightly packed. In BCC, the planes with
the highest atomic packing density are those in the {1 1 0} family of planes. There are 6 sets of non-parallel
planes in this family in any one crystal as can be discerned from the BCC unit cell (two example planes are shown
in Figure 3). The atoms are in contact with one another along the <1 1 1> family of directions which are the
densest packed in BCC crystals; slip occurs along such close-packed directions. There are 2 such directions on
any one of these planes thus there are 48 slip systems in BCC materials. However, there are two major
differences between slip in FCC and BCC materials: 1.) The BCC slip planes are not close-packed thus more
energy is required to cause slip in BCC crystals, and 2.) Slip in BCC crystals can also occur along the same
close-packed directions on other less-densely-packed planes after the slip process begins on the {1 1 0} family of
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planes. The second set of planes upon which slip can occur are termed "Secondary Slip Planes"; more energy is
required for slip on secondary planes as compared to the primary planes.
(a)
Figure 2
Fig. 3 (b) (110) plane, and it’s [111]
[111] slip directions.
Fig. 3 (a) (110) plane, and it’s [111]
[111] slip directions.
(a)
(b)
Figure 3
(b)
Unlike FCC and BCC crystals, HCP crystals have only one set of slip planes, the {0 0 1} family of densely
packed planes; these planes are equivalent in packing arrangement to the {1 1 1} family of slip planes in
FCC crystals. Thus there are 3 slip directions on each plane, and hence there are only 3 slip systems in
HCP crystals. HCP materials exhibit twinning and have secondary slip systems like BCC crystals and also
become brittle at low temperatures; FCC crystals generally remain ductile and tough even at sub-zero
temperatures.
X-Ray Diffraction
“Our present knowledge of crystal structures has been obtained mainly by X-ray diffraction techniques
which utilize X-rays about the same wavelength as the distance between crystal lattice planes" [Smith,
1993]. Typical X-rays used for diffraction are electromagnetic waves with wavelengths in the range of
0.05 to 0.25 nm. Diffraction X-rays are produced when a voltage is applied between a cathode and an
anode target metal contained within a vacuum; the target metal emits X-rays when struck by electrons.
With the wavelengths of the X-rays about equal to the distance between planes of atoms, reinforced
diffraction peaks of radiation of varying intensities can be produced when a beam of X-rays strikes a
crystalline solid.
If a monochromatic (single-wavelength) beam of X-rays of wavelength (λ ) is incident on a crystal, as
illustrated schematically in Figure 4, at an angle such that the wave patterns of the beam leaving the
various atomic planes are NOT in phase, then no reinforced beam will be produced (Figure 4a); this is
termed Destructive Interference. If the reflected waves are in phase, then reinforcement of the beam
occurs (Figure 4b); this is termed Constructive Interference.
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Figure 4 - The reflection of X-ray beam by the (hkl) planes of a crystal. a.) No reflected beam is produced at an arbitrary
angle of incidence. b.) At the Bragg angle θ, the reflected rays are in phase and reinforce one another. c.) Schematic
representation of the in-phase condition. (Smith, 1993)
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Considering incident X-rays 1 and 2 in Figure 4 to be in phase, the extra distance traveled by ray 2 must be
equal to MP + PN, which in turn must be an integral number of wavelengths, λ. Thus
nλ = MP + PN
(1)
where n = 1, 2, 3, ... and is termed the Order of the Diffraction. Since both MP and PN equal dhkl sin θ, where
dhkl is the Interplanar Spacing of the crystal planes of Miller Indices (hkl) and θ is the incident angle, the
condition for Constructive Interference must be
nλ = 2dhkl sin θ
(2)
This expression, known as Bragg’s Law, gives the relationship among the angular positions of the reinforced
diffracted beams in terms of the wavelength of the incident X-ray and the interplanar spacing of the crystal
planes.
In most cases the first order of diffraction where n = 1 is used. For cubic crystal structures, such as FCC and
BCC, the Interplanar Spacing between two closest parallel planes with the same Miller Indices can be
determined as
d hkl =
a
h2 + l 2 + k 2
(3)
where "a" is the Lattice Parameter (Lattice Constant). Equations (2) and (3) can be combined to represent
the wavelength as a function of the lattice parameter; this equation can be used along with X-ray
diffraction data to determine if a cubic crystal structure is FCC or BCC.
To analyze X-ray diffraction data, the crystal planes which diffract must be known for each type of crystal
structure. For the BCC structure, diffraction occurs only on planes whose Miller indices when added
together (h + k + l) total to an even number (see Table 1). In the case of the FCC crystal structure, the
principal diffracting planes are those whose Miller indices are either all even or all odd (zero is considered
even); planes with mixed odd and even indices give rise to zero intensity and their diffraction peaks do
not appear in the pattern.
Table 1 - Diffraction Planes in Cubic Crystals. [Shackelford, 1996]
Bravais Lattice
BCC
FCC
Constructive Interference
(Reflections Present)
(h + k + l) = Even
(h,k,l) All Odd or All Even
Destructive Interference
(Reflections Absent)
(h + k + l) = Odd
(h,k,l) Not All Odd or All Even
Figure 5- Sample Output (Smith 3.31).
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Lab Requirements
1.
Briefly explain the differences between [1 1 1], (1 1 1), <1 1 1> and {1 1 1}.
2.
What is the interplanar spacing for the sets of {1 2 1} planes in iron? (a = 0.2865 nm)
3.
At what angle will iron diffract Cu-Ka X-rays of wavelength 0.1541 nm?
4.
The radius of iron at room temperature is 0.1241 nm when it has the BCC structure; compute the lattice
parameter for BCC iron.
5.
Draw the (1 1 1) plane in a FCC unit cell and identify the three close packed directions.
6.
Draw the (1 1 0) plane in a BCC unit cell and the two diagonals on it; identify these two directions which
are the closest packed directions in BCC crystals.
7.
The X-ray diffraction data collected for two samples (FCC Aluminum and BCC Annealed Stainless Steel)
is provided in ASCII format. Load each file into a spreadsheet and plot the Intensity of the Diffracted
Beam (cps) versus the Diffraction Angle 2θ (Degrees) for each sample. The plots should be similar to that
presented in Figure 5. Examine each of the plots noting how the diffraction lines appear.
8.
Assuming first order diffraction, determine an expression for the diffraction angle (θ) as a function of
wavelength (λ), the lattice parameter (a), and the Miller indicies (h, k, l) based on equations (2) and (3);
then:
9.
•
List the Miller indices for the first 5 planes that will diffract in FCC crystals based on this
expression and the information in Table 1; begin with the plane which will diffract at the lowest
angle, proceed to the next lowest angle, etc. (i.e., arrange the diffracting planes in the order of
increasing diffraction angle).
•
Similarly, list the Miller indices for the first 4 planes that will diffract in BCC crystals.
Analyze the diffraction pattern of the FCC Aluminum sample based on an input wavelength of λ =
0.154056 nm and the results determined above in question 8. The first peak in the pattern should match
with the first possible diffraction plane and so on. Complete Table 2 for the FCC Aluminum sample.
•
Identify the Miller indices of the planes for each diffraction peak shown.
•
Determine the Lattice Parameter "a" for the Aluminum sample based on the data for each peak
then compute the average value of "a" for the Aluminum sample.
Table 2 - Analysis of the diffraction pattern of FCC Aluminum.
Peak #
1
2
3
4
5
Relative
Intensity
2θ
Sin θ
Interplanar
Spacing
(nm)
hkl
(nm)
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Lattice Parameter
(nm)
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10. Analyze the diffraction pattern of the BCC Annealed Steel sample based on an input wavelength of λ =
0.154056 nm and the results determined above in question 8. The first peak in the pattern should match
with the first possible diffraction plane and so on. Complete Table 3 for the BCC Annealed Steel sample.
•
Identify the Miller indices of the planes for each diffraction peak shown.
•
Determine the Lattice Parameter "a" for the steel sample based on the data for each
peak then compute the average value of "a" for the steel sample.
Table 3 - Analysis of the diffraction pattern of BCC Stainless Steel.
Peak #
1
2
3
4
Relative
Intensity
2θ
Sin θ
Interplanar
Spacing
(nm)
hkl
(nm)
Lattice Parameter
(nm)
11. Compare the diffraction patterns of the FCC Aluminum specimen with the diffraction pattern of the BCC
Annealed Steel specimen.
•
What major differences exist between the patterns?
•
If preferred surface orientations appear then certain planes appear more frequently parallel to
the surface which in turn increases the intensity of their peaks. If only one strong peak
appears then there is a 100% preferred orientation. What can you infer about the preferred
orientation:
- In the Aluminum sample?
- In the Stainless Steel sample?
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